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Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
Hebrews 9:10 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB being only (with meats and drinks and various washings) fleshly ordinances, imposed until a time of reformation.
  • BSB They consist only in food and drink and special washings—external regulations imposed until the time of reform.
  • NKJV concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.
  • NASB since they relate only to food, drink, and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation.
  • NLT For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The old regulations dealt only with outward matters, food, drink, and washings, imposed until God's appointed time of reform. They were temporary by design.

Overview

These 'fleshly ordinances' addressed external, ceremonial cleanness rather than the heart. They were never meant to be permanent but were 'imposed until a time of reformation', the new order inaugurated by Christ. Their built-in expiration shows they pointed forward to a better covenant.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 29

  • Col 2:16Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
  • Eph 2:15Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
  • Lev 11:2–47Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.
  • Heb 7:16Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
  • Heb 9:1Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.
  • Deut 23:11But it shall be, when evening cometh on, he shall wash himself with water: and when the sun is down, he shall come into the camp again.
  • Gal 4:3–4Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
  • Exod 40:12And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.
  • Lev 16:4He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.
  • Exod 30:19–21For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:
  • Heb 10:22Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
  • Eph 1:10That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
  • Ezek 4:14Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! behold, my soul hath not been polluted: for from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is torn in pieces; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth.
  • Lev 16:24And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people.
  • Deut 21:6And all the elders of that city, that are next unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley:
  • Heb 2:5For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.
  • Heb 6:5And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
  • Acts 10:13–15And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
  • Mark 7:4And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.
  • Heb 6:2Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
  • Heb 13:9Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
  • Num 19:7–21Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.
  • Lev 17:15–16And every soul that eateth that which died of itself, or that which was torn with beasts, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even: then shall he be clean.
  • Lev 22:6The soul which hath touched any such shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with water.
  • Gal 4:9But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
  • Col 2:20–22Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
  • Exod 29:4And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water.
  • Deut 14:3–21Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.
  • Lev 14:8–9And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean: and after that he shall come into the camp, and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (7)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Hebrews videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Hebrews 9:10YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on HebrewsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Hebrews is sustained worship of Christ: better than angels, Moses, and the priests; the great High Priest after Melchizedek who by one sacrifice perfects forever those he saves.

How Hebrews 9:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.